


Renegotiations

by Ashkaztra



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Chair Sex, M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 23:43:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6399040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashkaztra/pseuds/Ashkaztra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon the death of his father, John Sheppard inherits a household, a company and a very strange business agreement. One of these is slightly more welcome than the others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Renegotiations

**Author's Note:**

> For the Porn Battle Prompt Stack - John Sheppard/Todd the Wraith, lifeforce, vampires, power
> 
> I had two ideas and couldn't decide which I liked better. So I wrote both.

"So what you're saying is that my father allowed a bunch of vampires to live on his land and in return, those vampires handled a lot of his dirty work?" 

John wished he'd been able to disbelieve that, but sifting through the papers his father had left them, he'd lost any lingering beliefs he'd had that maybe his father wasn't kind of awful. Patrick Sheppard had been a ruthless man, who had done everything to secure his legacy. Making agreements with vampires wasn't the least bit surprising considering some of the things he'd learned about the man. He'd always told John and Dave that no Sheppard would have dealings with the Others, but if it meant having his dirty work done, he'd happily let them handle it. 

Personally, John didn't have any issues with the Others as a whole. Most of them were just like humans, only biologically different, and he saw no reason to give someone shit for their biology. They tended to be more welcome in the military than most places, where their biology gave them advantages. There was an all-selkie specialist navy troop that John had worked with before. The idea only seemed ridiculous to someone who hadn't realised that seals were predatory. 

Vampires were a different thing, though. Most Others weren't naturally malicious, but vampires were by nature a danger to humans, and though some of them were simply victims of circumstances, most of them embraced their nature. 

The vampire across from him certainly didn't seem the least bit bothered by what he was. Unlike most Others, he'd made no attempt to hide his nature. Vampires had been human, once, and he still retained the basic appearance of a human male, but his eyes were burnished yellow with slit pupils, like a big cat or a reptile. Occasionally, when he spoke, his lips parted enough to reveal a set of very sharp teeth. 

It was honestly far more unsettling than seeing a werewolf or shifter in their midway form, because they didn't look human at all at that stage. The vampire looked almost human, and those things that upset that appearance was far more creepy on him because of it. 

"It is a simplification of the agreement we had," Rathe said, tilting his head thoughtfully. "But it does cover the basics, I admit."

"And you want to make the same arrangement with me, now that my father is dead?" John asked, looking at the Other across from him. The vampire had come to discuss business, or so he had claimed, though John had no idea what his business might be. 

He was fairly certain the vampire had chosen to not hide his non-human traits exactly because he knew how unsettling they looked, and he refused to let that get to him, even if those yellow eyes did look like they could see into his soul. 

Not that there was much to see there. John was no saint, far from it, but he was no devil either. Just a man. 

Nodding his head, his long white hair spilling across his collar, Rathe smiled slightly, just barely hiding his fangs. "That is my purpose in coming to see you, yes." 

Damn his father anyway, John thought, leaving him to deal with these things. It wasn't as though his father had planned on having a heart attack, of course, but he was pretty sure that his entire last will and testament had been designed so that upon dying, he still trapped John into the very life he'd been trying to escape. 

And now John had the household and the company looming above him and a brother who was trying to hide the hurt he felt at not having inherited the company he'd put his life into. Patrick Sheppard had managed to ruin both their lives and their relationship from beyond the grave. 

It was almost impressive in its spitefulness. 

"I have no interest in having people killed," John told Rathe, and it came out a little sharper than he had intended. He'd killed people before, during combat, and though he didn't enjoy it, he had few regrets either, but there was a very big difference between killing an enemy combatant and having someone killed because he disagreed with them. 

If he was going to start having people assassinated, he wasn't about to use vampires to do it, either. 

Rathe smiled again, showing his fangs this time. "I see," he said, and though his voice was even, there was clearly something underneath his polite mask, something sharp and dangerous. 

John took a gulp of his coffee to hide the urge to swallow nervously. 

"My clan has made a home on the land your father granted us the use of," Rathe told him, his own cup balanced in his hand. "It would be unfortunate if we must leave it all behind." 

He put the cup down on the little side table and rose to his feet. 

The vampire was a tall man, and the easy confidence he held himself with made him seem even taller. It made him somewhat physically imposing, though John was less concerned with vampire strength than all the other strange abilities they were said to have. 

"If the arrangement we had with your father does not appeal to you," Rathe said, watching him intently, "Then there are many other things we can offer you. To be honest, I always felt your father did not ask for enough, though I suspect it was because he found my company distasteful. He only asked for the removal of his enemies, but we can give you power beyond your imagination."

His voice had dropped, low and purring, and John could feel his breathing hitch a little as Rathe spoke. 

"You have money, of course," Rathe purred. "But we can give you more. With our help, you can be the richest man alive. A different sort of power, but power nonetheless." 

Smiling, the vampire went on. "We can give you knowledge, if that is what you want. We live long and remember much, after all. Or, if you so desire, we can share our life with you. Eternal life, John Sheppard, and eternal health. Every pain and ache you feel erased, to exist at your prime for eternity."

Rathe's words seemed to echo in his heartbeat, John found. He'd been injured many times in combat, and though he had learned to live with the damage, it still haunted him, some days more than others. Even if he hadn't been forced to step in and take over the company, he would one day age too old to fly. Rathe knew that, he was sure, knew exactly what he was offering and how tempting it was. 

"You'll excuse me if I think an eternity of murder is too steep a price to pay," John muttered, but it was more to remind himself than a reply. 

Undaunted, Rathe went on. "Something else, then. Are you lonely, perhaps? We can make you irresistible. If you so desire, you can have your choice of women lining up for you. Or men, or any genders you want. We can give you all the companionship you would ever want." 

John's heart skipped another beat. He'd never let anyone outside of a very few lovers know that he liked men as much as he liked women. Maybe even more; they were usually more willing to be rough and active, and John had always liked that. He hadn't had a lover for years, and while it wasn't something he actively missed, there was always something missing. 

At least that had come of being forced to leave the military to run the family business. While there were a lot of people who would probably disapprove, nobody could keep him from sleeping with any gender he wanted. 

The way Rathe had said it sounded casual, but there was something below it, something hinting that the vampire had chosen his words specifically because he knew how they'd affect John. 

There was something that bothered him, though. Something more than just the way the vampire read him. 

"If you can offer all this, why do you even need my land?" He asked, looking at Rathe sharply. 

The vampire made a small, quiet sound. "As I said, we have put much time and effort into the land. It was given freely, and that matters to us, even if it matters little elsewhere." 

He walked closer, until he was standing in front of John. "Everyone desires something, John Sheppard. It is how the world works. Not only is it human nature, but it is in the Others' nature as well." 

This time, when he smiled, he looked nothing like human at all. "What do **you** want, John Sheppard?"

John opened his mouth to reply, but the words died in his throat and never made it further. "I don't know what I want," he said, finally, his voice sounding small and tired. "I want the sky, but I can't have it. I want my freedom back. I want Dave to stop hating me. I want ..." He trailed off, looking up at the vampire. 

"Unless you can bring the dead back so my father can have his damn legacy back and leave me the hell alone, I don't think there is anything you can offer me." 

"If I could do that, I would no longer need to negotiate with you," the vampire pointed out, but there was a strange tone to his voice, almost kind. "So what would you then offer, if I could give you your freedom back?"

"Nobody can wake the dead," John told him, dully. "There is no point to discussing this any further." He looked down at the floor, trying to shove all the ache back where he couldn't feel it. It didn't seem to work any more. 

Rathe knelt down, the movement almost impossibly smooth, and gave John a smile that was all danger and hidden promise. "I cannot raise the dead, true," he said, and John got the distinct feeling he hated admitting that there was anything he couldn't do. "But I can give you freedom back, return the sky to you. What would that be worth to you, John Sheppard?"

"Anything. Everything." The reply came before he'd even finished hearing the sentence, automatically rolling off his tongue. "Anything you want." 

The vampire's smile only widened. "We have an agreement, then." 

John opened his mouth, wanting to ask just what he'd just agreed to, but Rathe reached out and took his hand, pulling it to his lips. He felt cool against John's skin, his clawed hands like marble restraints. His tongue flicked out against the inside of John's palm, cool and wet, tasting the skin like a serpent seeking prey. 

In an imitation of a lover's kisses, he moved along the palm and onto the wrist, his tongue caressing the pulse point there. 

Even if he hadn't agreed to this, even if he'd wanted to pull free, there was no way John could have broken the hold. He felt helpless, and it was almost a relief, to be in a situation where he wasn't expected to take charge, wasn't expected to hold together. 

Dropping almost gentle kisses against John's wrist, Rathe sucked lightly at the skin as he turned the arm over, getting it into the right position. He looked up at John as he did, meeting his eyes as he bit into the flesh, his fangs slicing through the skin with ease. 

It hurt, a sharp cutting pain through his arm, but it was not agonizing, and as he pulled his fangs loose and began drinking down the blood, it felt sort of nice at the same time, the pressure of his tongue leaving a buzzing feeling, a sort of dazed euphoria. It made sense; if the prey fought it would cost the vampire more effort, but John still hadn't expected to enjoy being fed on. 

He did, though, a slow warmth spreading through his body from where the vampire was latched on, like a warm drink on a cold winter night. It wasn't a rush of pleasure, exactly, but more of a steady, slow pressure building in his system. 

As Rathe pulled away from his wrist, lapping at the bite to get the last drops off, John mostly just felt slightly drunk, that sort of pleasant buzz he got when he'd had a few beers. 

He was also, he realised, as Rathe gently wrapped the already healing bite with his handkerchief, rather visibly aroused, his cock hard against his trousers. He blinked, wondering if that was normal. Rathe seemed only amused, but that seemed to be the vampire's default mode, so it was difficult to tell. 

Asking wasn't an option, his voice not quite cooperating. He was left contemplating a series of gestures when Rathe put his injured wrist carefully at his side and leaned in to unfasten John's trousers. 

Though the fireplace kept the room nice and warm, it was still a bit of a chill to suddenly have his cock exposed to the air. The vampire, still sitting nicely between John's legs, looked up at him, expectantly. 

This was a terrible idea, John knew, looking at the smile that didn't quite cover those razor sharp fangs. An utterly terrible idea.

He gave a small nod and bit back a whimper as Rathe leaned forward and swallowed his cock down completely. As he did, his fangs retracted, leaving only human teeth. If his mouth wasn't so cold, John could almost have thought it was a human between his legs. 

It felt far too nice, considering that Rathe's mouth had been full of his blood only moments ago, but he was beyond caring at this point. Instead, John bit his lip and shut his eyes, letting his non-injured hand thread into Rathe's hair. 

He had to wonder if the lack of a gag reflex was a vampire thing or just practice. 

Whatever it was, Rathe was very good at giving head, his tongue agile and clever, finding its way to every sensitive spot on John's cock with ease. He seemed to enjoy what he was doing, too, showing far more enthusiasm about it than John had expected. 

John made a strangled noise as Rathe swallowed him all the way down again, burying his nose against John's groin. He couldn't remember ever having someone do that to him, but it felt so good. He dug his hand into the hair and whimpered, arching into Rathe's mouth. 

Rathe made an amused sound that vibrated through John's cock and pulled back, his lips slick and remarkably redder than his pale skin. 

"Is this what you want?" He asked, and there was a roughness of his voice that made every syllable go right to John's cock. "Or is there something else you would like?"

As long as he came, John would be satisfied either way, but as good as the cool, soft mouth felt around his cock, the thought of having the vampire pin him to something with that unnatural strength was making him feel almost dizzy with desire. Words were still hard, though, and all he managed was a half-choked whimper. 

The vampire just smiled, though, sliding one hand up John's shirt, the other working on pulling his trousers down one leg. His hands were as cool as his mouth, but they were strong and agile, and John whimpered again as Rathe pinched one of his nipples. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so needy, so sensitive, and it was so good to be touched. 

Once he'd managed to get the trousers off, Rathe slid his hand further back. His fingers were slick, and John had no idea how he'd managed that, but as those fingers worked him open, he found that he didn't care. He gave a sharp moan as he was slowly stretched out, pulling at Rathe's hair again, his hand still twined into those white strands. 

"Please," he managed, half-swallowing the plea into a moan. 

"Yes," Rathe agreed, pushing him up further into the chair so that he could kneel in it himself. He'd gotten his own trousers open somewhere along the line, and he was as hard as John was. 

Lowering himself onto Rathe, John gasped in pleasure, wrapping his legs around Rathe's waist, some distant part of his mind glad he'd kept the ridiculously large armchairs. They were large and sturdy enough that he could rest against the back while Rathe knelt in the seat, allowing him to have some semblance of control at the start, setting the starting pace. He wanted it faster, harder, but it had been a long time, and he lasted a while at that slower pace before pushing down to meet each thrust, urging Rathe to pick up the pace. 

The vampire seemed all too happy to do that, fucking John hard, his pace relentless and urgent. John clawed at his back through his clothing, making a sound that sounded so desperate it took him a moment to realise he'd been the one making it. Rathe was on the bigger side, and his deep strokes and fast pace made John feel like every stroke was sending sparks down his spine, pulsing through him. 

It was too much, too fast, and it took embarrassingly little time before his climax hit, making mess of both their shirts. He bit his lip as he came, hard enough to draw blood, and Rathe made a little hiss in the back of his throat, kissing him hard. The cool tongue pressed against the bite, lapping up the blood with obvious pleasure. It felt good, even if it was a strange parody of a kiss. 

Apparently, the blood was enough to set Rathe off, because he growled as he came, thrusting up into John one last time before just holding him in place for while, resting his head against John's chest. John was breathing hard, his heart pounding in his chest, which only made the complete stillness of Rathe's frame seem even odder. After a little while, Rathe unfurled himself, lifting John up and pulling out. He tucked himself back into his trousers and did something, dragging his hand down his front and leaving the fabric new and clean in its wake. 

Reaching out, he lifted John's chin so he could look at him, a strange smile on his face. "Take a bath and get some rest, John Sheppard," he said, and there was a weight to the sentence, something compelling. "It is time for me to fulfill my end of our agreement." 

He leaned in and kissed John again, leaving him breathless. 

"Just go to bed?" John found himself asking, because that sounded too easy. 

"Trust me," Rathe said, and there was a strange warmth in his strange voice. "There is nothing more you need to concern yourself with." 

Holding onto the chair, John just managed to get to his feet. "I don't even know your full name," he pointed out. "It's not exactly making me feel confident."

Rathe chuckled, the noise sending a small thrill down John's spine, despite his exhaustion. "It's Todd," he said, straightening his coat. "At least for the last centuries, it has been. Go rest, Sheppard. We made a deal, and I always deliver." He stole a last kiss before leaving, the door closing behind him with a dull click. 

John watched the door for a moment, then looked at the chair. It was completely clean, as was his shirt. If his pants hadn't been on the floor and he hadn't felt slick and fucked out, he could almost have imagined that he had imagined it all. 

A deal, the vampire had said, but John was still not sure what it was he had agreed to. He didn't think he'd find out any time soon, either. 

Sighing, he pulled his clothing on enough to make his way to his room and took a long shower, trying to decide what to think. His brain didn't seem to want to think, though, and he found himself sitting on the bed three times before deciding to just go in and go to sleep.

*

He woke the next morning to Dave coming to wake him, visibly excited. "Get up, John!" He said, shaking John's shoulder. "We need to go talk to dad's solicitor. Apparently they found a newer will!" 

"A newer will?" John asked, swinging his legs out of bed and hobbling over to the walk-in closet. "How is that possible?" 

Dave made a confused sound. "I'm not sure. Apparently dad made Jameson and Dewitt stand as witnesses, and Dewitt had it in case of emergency? It's all really strange, but the solicitor is certain it's real." 

"Huh," John said, looking at himself in the mirror as he dressed. He didn't look nearly as much like death warmed over as he had expected. "Any idea what it says?" 

"Apparently, it changes almost everything, and that is why we both have to be there," Dave said, and managed to sound somewhere between apologetic and smug. 

John bet one of those changes included strict directions for a certain area of land. 

He finished pulling on his clothing and hurried out to follow Dave, buttoning his shirt sleeves. 

"Did you cut yourself?" Dave asked, nodding to the white cloth still tied around John's wrist. 

"Yeah," John said, touching the cloth lightly. Beneath it, his wrist was still sore. "I was taking care of something. It was worth it, though." 

Even though he still wasn't sure what he'd agreed to, he had to believe that was true. 

There was only one way to find out, though. 

He closed the door behind them as they left and followed Dave to their future.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I had to put the navy SEAL selkies in there. Too good a pun to give up on. 
> 
> About the surname I gave Todd; it's an actual name and one of its pronunciations rhymes with _bathe_. Sounds familiar? Yeah, how could I resist? XD


End file.
